Oedipus constant search for the truth is his ultimate downfall
... This constant quest to gain knowledge means that man is willing to accept the consequences of the insight the knowledge provides. ... In King Oedipus Sophocles actually suggests the opposite; that not enough knowledge is a dangerous thing. Its Oedipus’ desire for knowledge that makes him ‘first among men’, but it is also this desire that acts as a catalyst towards his own demise. So it could be concluded that knowledge is a dangerous thing, but what would have been the outcome had Oedipus stayed ignorant and not realised his fate? Oedipus held in very high opinion by his people; the Thebans. ... He feels an intense obligation to his people to find the truth whatever the cost. This search for the truth is governed to some extent by his hubris; he feels it is his duty to search for the truth because he is the only one qualified to do so. ... Sophocles uses this family imagery in King Oedipus to accentuate this devotion; a father will do anything for his children, even forgo his own life.